Eddie Howe has confirmed that Newcastle United already have 'an idea' of what they want to do in the summer - but those plans could change in a 'blink of an eye'.
The mid-season window only shut on Tuesday, of course, but Newcastle, like most top-flight clubs, work well in advance. In fact, Newcastle's recruitment team were planning for January and the summer as far back as September and sporting director Dan Ashworth revealed last month that 'we know what we would like to do' when the window reopens.
The summer is a particularly important trading period and this is where Newcastle will do the bulk of their business in 2023 after already signing Anthony Gordon and Harrison Ashby last month. Although negotiations for top targets are never easy, regardless of the time of year, clubs are a little more open to doing business than they would be mid-season as there is more time to secure a replacement
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As well as getting their ducks in a row - from compiling data to doing background checks - Newcastle will also be conscious of a sudden change in circumstances. Newcastle, for instance, moved for Nick Pope last summer after Burnley were relegated while the profile of attacker the Magpies were targeting slightly changed after Callum Wilson suffered a hamstring injury last August and a move for Alexander Isak was prioritised. So does Howe already know what he wants and who he wants when the window reopens?
"We would have an idea, but that changes and that can change in a blink of an eye," he told reporters. "If you plan things right, you can look a few months ahead, but you always need to be reactive to what happens on a day-to-day basis as well."
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